Al-Jazirah newspaper

COUNTRIES› progress and development are always measured by their rankings in the hierarchy of international integrity. The less corrupt the countries are, the more they achieve in terms of prosperity and development. This means that there are strict legal controls and penalties for every citizen who exploits his position to make illegal gains. This also means protecting public wealth from abuse and embezzlement.

The decision of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman to set up a supreme commission chaired by the Crown Prince and with members from the Monitoring and Investigation Commission and the National Anti-Corruption Commission (Nazaha) was a great step in this direction. The commission›s role is to investigate official corruption and implement strong decisions to detain, investigate and prosecute a number of influential people in the country who are suspected of involvement in specific cases.

The commission will investigate any acts that hindered the advance of the development wheel and deprived the citizens of the benefits of important national projects.

It was an unforgettable Sunday in the history of the new Saudi state. The verdicts reached everyone and no one has survived, no matter how big or small. No immunity protected anyone. Everyone is equal before the law, and everyone will be investigated without discrimination. This is what happens in developed countries where clear anti-corruption laws have been in place for decades. This is what the new Kingdom is heading to and this will serve as a progressive model for the entire region.

The estimate of the missing public money was only an initial figure, but it is equal to the national budget of the Kingdom for several years.

It means if this money were given back to the country, it would not have suffered an economic crisis that caused the disruption of several development projects. Perhaps this great step and the establishment of this supreme commission is the first real activation of the role of Nazaha.

Such a step was expected of the Monitoring and Investigation Commission, which wasted a long time monitoring staff attendance. Here we have steadfastly set foot on the long road of comprehensive reform.